Mayor Orders Dept. Heads To Review Take-Home Cars

Gimenez Says Many Vehicles Unnecessary Perk

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez fired off a sternly worded letter Monday to all department heads.

In the letter, Gimenez ordered those department heads to review each and every county take-home vehicle in their departments by Sept. 9.

"Take-home vehicles that are primarily used to commute to and from work will be rescinded," the mayor said in the letter.

As Local 10 reported last week, 530 civilian Miami-Dade County employees get to take their county-owned vehicles home, many out of the county. If you add police and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue vehicles into the equation, about 3,000 Miami-Dade vehicles are driven home at a cost of $8 million in tax money.

"I will no longer accept the justification that uniquely equipped vehicles must be driven home by the employee because they respond after hours," Gimenez said.

The mayor feels many of those vehicles are an unnecessary perk at the taxpayers? expense and that it's something the county can no longer afford.

"It must be demonstrated that the tools or other equipment required cannot be carried in a personal vehicle," Gimenez said.

The mayor has instructed Miami-Dade police and Fire Rescue to review the take-home vehicles in their departments, as well.

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